Projects 1957 Corvette M/SP Project

This is turning out killer.

 

Cut and fitted scoop to hood yesterday. Today my plan is to get my headlight buckets mounted and get the lights and bezels on.

 

I like that scoop much better. Maybe it's the way it flows with the curves of the car.

 

I agree . The other one was just too square. The reason I decided to go with the other one was because it was a couple inches narrower than this one, but it only take another inch out of site on the rt side. Height wise it is actually a touch lower, and sitting in the car, I can see over it pretty good.

Thanks Jim. Coming along. I spent today fitting the headlights. Between the after-market nose, after-market headlight buckets, after-market mounting flanges , and getting everything to line up correctly to glass in the mounting flanges to the nose, it took the whole day to finish this "simple job". I still have to remove the buckets one more time to glass the front sides of the flanges, but the good thing is the worst is done. The nice thing is once the headlights are in, it really makes the car look whole again.

 

I remember having a girlfriend that had a grill like that...

 

Keeps getting better all the time, come on summer for some racing.

jp

 

Finished the headlight install today and also fabricated and installed the rear exhaust hangers. Made them so I can un-bolt the pipes/mufflers at the collectors and slide them out of the rear hangers to remove completely from the car.

 

Baron that's one of the sweetest corvette, it's kinda like the one you dream about building as you were growing up as a high school kid.

 

After seeing the picture of the black Corvette with the push bar, I really liked the way it looked. Also a lot less expensive than $600.00 for the new repro bumpers that I had be thinking about buying. So I removed the stock bumpers, glassed up the holes, figured out where and how I needed to mount the bumper brackets and made this mock bumper up with exhaust tubing and a couple pieces of 1 x 1/8 flat stock. I used 1 3/4 inch tubing. I looked at 2 1/2 and it looked to big /heavy. I may go up to 2 inch, but no bigger. I'll look at it for a few days and once I decide, I'll order some stainless stock and duplicate this one. Open to suggestions you guys may have on tube diameter, length, etc. This is 45 inches wide, dropped low enough to clear the license plate and have extended out to protect the backs of the fenders.

 

Hi Baron, I like the push bar look. If it was 1967 and my crew were building the push bar, we would have used 3or 4" heavy wall pipe and filled it with lead because the slicks back then were so poor. But today the tires do their job without all that extra weight. ( weight is not your friend when racing ) I would build it out of 4130 rollbar tubing and make it functionally strong so God forbid , someone hits you in the rear, even lightly. Maybe even some inside gussets. Then get chromed.

If you look at the Black car that is inspiring this topic, It appears the tube is at stock bumper height. GMs styling team put the bumper at that height for a reason. Jim

 

Hi Jim. Good idea on the chrome moly tubing. As far as height goes, because the car is higher than stock and the push bar being lowered about the same amount, puts it close to stock height. And the bumper braces will actually bolt to the rear frame rails whereas the stock bumpers were bolted to the glass panel below the trunk with a flimsy inner steel channel that actually provide little to no protection. So hopefully this will actually provide better protection than the stock bumpers. Appreciate your input.

 

Very cool Baron! Great idea.

 

Baron, I was referring to the stock height on the body/ bumpers. Not off the ground. I just think it would look better. But that is what I see, I may be way off here and your vision may be better and it is your car. Once I thought I was wrong, but then I later found out I was mistaken. LOL . Any way you do it should be great. As far as alignment with the frame, Just like my work life, home life, and car building, I just do what ever, to get it done, Jim

 

Yep. And I kicked that around today on the placement and the license plate issue. I suppose I could make a bracket to mount the plate off the back side of the bar. This is why I made it out of exhaust tubing and vise-gripped in place.
And I glassed up the antenna hole while I was doing the bumper holes, so my kill switch will go where I originally planned. Thanks.

 

Screw the license plate. A detail to work on later. The antenna hole would never pass inspection any way. A question, do you want to race this car and expect it to go fast?? If so NHRA rules need to be respected, or they will not let you race.

I like this conversation, makes me think I am back to 2009 when the NJO was in it's peak. Very good times.

 

I always keep my NHRA rule book in my desk draw for reference. I hate having to go back and change stuff later cause it won't pass. This will be mostly street driven, but will make it to a few events each year. If I can get this car to break into the 11's this year, I'll be very happy. I need to do a little tweaking on my 55 to make it a 1/2 second quicker. Too many cars, too little time.

 

Very nice! I always wanted an early Vette, I'm not dead yet lol maybe, there is still time.
Are you running flat tops or domed pistons with the closed chamber heads?
I'm sure you have a guess on C/R ??

These cars make bad ass hot rods I am envious

 

I like that push bar, but wonder if you could add a bit of curvature to it to better match the body line? Really like this build!

 

Baron looks good. I remember the push bars on a few early Vettes. Here is a pic on Prontito (my favorite 57) when it was yellow. I have pics when it was black and real early when it was brown with the Pontiac but it is harder to see the bumper. I watched him stand this car on the bumper without wheelie bars at Milan, never forget it.

 

I think I would mock one up to follow the body lines to see how you like it

 

Agreed Not my car, but I think it is worth exploring.

 

I also think one that was bent to follow the body lines would look good. But I think doing that it becomes more of a custom bumper than a push bar. Form over function. ( not that I plan on using it as such, but prefer it to be functional).

Thanks Jim. Now this one is mounted down low , but not sure I like it as well as being located at the stock bumper height like the black one. I'll alter my temp bumper mounts to move it up to see if I like that better. Thinking about it last night, I can always lower the plate a couple inches on the body so that it would be visible below the bar .

 

I'd prefer two verticals rather than that one horizontal.

 

I have thought about two uprights. Lighter than one horizontal bar.

 

Baron for what it's worth, try a larger diameter pipe and see what it looks like. Maybe try a piece of 3" or 4" pvc slotted over what you have and paint it black just to see how it looks. I'm not saying to use pvc.

Pat

 

All your Corvette need now Baron is an NCRS sticker on the window...... but placed upside down.

 

Hi Jim. Being a member off and on for the last 25 years, I may have a couple of decals, along with a National Corvette Museum member. I'd put them on right side up. Long live the Corvettes ! (love your new El Camino btw, very nice)
Found another push bar picture for reference (that Jim Dillon will recognize).

 

Thanks. Flat top pistons, and right around 10 to 1.

 

Baron, yes that is the same car as Prontito only in 1965 when it had a 421 Pontiac (built by George Delorean) with a four speed. They really hacked up the wheelwell on that version. Still really am hooked on that car though, moreso on the performance of the car even though I always liked the look.

 

Love it!